When drinking from a conventional cup, it is generally necessary for a user to put his lips on the rim of the cup, tilt his head back while maintaining the contact between his lips and the rim of the cup, and turn his mouth upward while raising and tilting the cup itself a suitable amount to direct the liquid into his mouth. In raising the cup, the level of liquid is raised above the user's open mouth, and in tilting the cup the liquid is poured into the open mouth.
Both the raising of the cup and the pouring of liquid from the cup can pose obstacles to users having limited physical faculties. For example, a disabled person with limited upper body mobility may have difficulty raising his arms to bring a cup to his mouth, difficulty tilting his head back to drink, or both. A person with Parkinson's disease may have difficulty in maintaining the cup steady enough to pour the liquid into his mouth without spilling it. Any person bedridden and unable to sit up or who must remain laying on his side or front would also find it difficult, if not impossible, to drink from a cup. Additionally, persons having dental devices in their mouths or those without teeth may also have difficulty drinking from conventional cups.
At least some of these issues can still be present when the user drinks from a cup using a straw, assistive mouthpiece, or similar apparatus. In particular, the use of some assistive mouthpieces still involves tilting the head back to pour the liquid into the mouth. Furthermore, the sucking ability required for the use of a straw can be difficult for some users depending upon their particular disabilities.
Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a cup that can be utilized by persons of limited physical faculties to promote their independence and facilitate their self reliance with regard to the drinking of liquids.